Empty Chairs At Empty Tables
by Meaka
Summary: Harry remembers what it was like before the war and finds something he thought he had lostIt has been brought to my attention that the song in this fic was written by ClaudeMichael Schonberg and Alan Boublil sorry for the mistake in the disclainer.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/n_** : Hi eveyone waves I got a new story for you all to have a look at.

For those that have been reading my _Affairs of the heart_ story i am so sorry it has taken me so long to update ... I will be reviewing the chapters that have been written and shal post the next in the next few weeks.

But anyway ... this story got way off track of where it was supposed to go ... I'm blaming my boyfriend hehe ... if it wasn't for a suggestion from him i would have taken it in an entirely different direction ... but he only helped cos i was stuck and going to give up on it ... i'm rambling ... ok ... on with the story

And reviews are always appreciated ... even flames ... just don't be too nasty ... i don't llike nasty people ... I love hearing what people have to say about my wrinting and good reviews usually make me want to write more ;)

Ok ... NOW on with the story ...

****

**_Empty Chairs at Empty Tables_****_  
_**Lyrics by Michael Ball

**There's a grief that can't be spoken.****  
****There's a pain goes on and on.****  
****Empty chairs at empty tables****  
****Now my friends are dead and gone.**

Harry stepped into what was once the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the dust had yet to settle. As he looked around he found that all that was left were piles of rubble that were once the walls, shattered glass that had once been beautiful stained glass windows and piles of smouldering wood scattered on the floor which had once been tables and chairs that had held many a chattering and laughing student.

**Here they talked of revolution.****  
****Here it was they lit the flame.****  
****Here they sang about tomorrow'****  
****And tomorrow never came.**

The war was finally over, but at what cost? So many lives had been lost; friends and family, adults and children alike. S mang young people lost, so many people who had yet to really live their lives, who had been looking to the future. People who had dreams and ambitions just like him. He ventured further into the Hall, slowly making his way towards the place where Gryffindor table had once been.

**From the table in the corner****  
****They could see a world reborn****  
****And they rose with voices ringing****  
****I can hear them now!****  
****The very words that they had sung****  
****Became their last communion****  
****On the lonely barricade at dawn.**

**Oh my friends, my friends forgive me**

As Harry stood among the ruin of the only place he had ever thought of as home, images of those he had lost in the great war appeared before him, memories of happy times, where he had his friends to laugh with, to joke around with, to get into trouble with. But those times were no more.

**That I live and you are gone.****  
****There's a grief that can't be spoken.****  
****There's a pain goes on and on**.

Harry watched as the images in front of him played out, showing his friends all laughing and joking, as they had done only a few hours before. He had lost almost everyone he had come to hold dear. Everyone he had ever loved.

**Phantom faces at the window.****  
****Phantom shadows on the floor.****  
****Empty chairs at empty tables****  
****Where my friends will meet no more.**

Harry desparately reached out for the images as they begun to fade before his eyes Sinking to the floor as reality set in.

**Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me****  
****What your sacrifice was for****  
****Empty chairs at empty tables****  
****Where my friends will sing no more.**

As Harry sat among the rubble and wood that had once been Gryffindor table he spotted a shimmer in the corner of his eye, something silver sparkling in the firelight. He turned his head slightly, thinking that it was probably just a shard of glass. There lying among the rubble covered in dust was a silver ring with a heart shaped emerald embedded between four diamonds.

"Hermione" he whispered as a single tear ran down his cheek. He picked the ring up and gently brushed the dust off he turned the ring around in his hands and read the inscription on the inside of the band '_Always and Forever' _It had only been a couple of days ago that he had stood under their favourite tree out near the lake and proposed to her.

It had been right after the end of year feast, most of the students were still in the Common Room celebrating the end of year and making the most of the time they had left together. Harry and Hermione had snuck out of the castle while the others made their way up to the tower. The sky had been perfectly clear and the stars had been shining brightly.

"Harry?" Came a familiar voice "Harry can you hear me?" Harry could sense that someone was kneeling down next to him; he could feel a weight and warmth on his knee and someone moving aside the hair in his eyes and caressing his cheek with their thumb. And that smell, he knew that smell! But no it couldn't be. Harry kept his eyes shut and looking towards the ground, tightening his grip no the ring in his hand. "Harry, its me, you're not imagining things," the voice said softly.

"I think that is the second … no third best thing I have ever heard you say" he croaked and he lifted his head and was met with the brown eyes of his love. He pulled her into his lap and held her tightly never wanting to let her go "I thought I'd lost you" he whispered after several minutes. "I saw them …"

"It wasn't me, they forced someone to take polyjuice potion to make you think it was me. It was meant to distract you"

"Well their plan backfired. It only made me more determined to kill the bastards." He scowled.

"Shh" said said soothingly, placing a finger against his lips "It's over now and we're together, that's al that matters." Harry hugged her again.

"I think you lost something," he said, remembering the ring still held tightly in his hand. He pulled himself back up onto his feet, helping her up as well. "I love you" He said as he took her left hand in his he slipped the ring back onto the finger. "Always" he added before kissing her.

"And forever" she added between kisses.

As the couple walked out into the darkening castle grounds hand in hand Harry could see a new light at the end of the tunnel. He knew that so long as he had Hermione by his side everything would be all right.


	2. second attempt

**_A/n:_** Hi again!

I didn't really like the first version of this story that I posted so I have been working on it a bit more and have added to it slightly.

This is way off the type of story I would usually write and could use any feedback thats given so please R&R

hope you enjoy the story.

**_

* * *

_**

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables**_  
_**Lyrics by Michael Ball

**There's a grief that can't be spoken.****  
****There's a pain goes on and on.****  
****Empty chairs at empty tables****  
****Now my friends are dead and gone.**

Harry stepped into what was once the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the dust had yet to settle. As he looked around he found that all that was left were piles of rubble that were once the walls, shattered glass that had once been beautiful stained glass windows and piles of smouldering wood scattered on the floor which had once been tables and chairs that had held many a chattering and laughing student.

**Here they talked of revolution.****  
****Here it was they lit the flame.****  
****Here they sang about tomorrow'****  
****And tomorrow never came.**

The war was finally over, but at what cost? So many lives had been lost; friends and family, adults and children alike. So many young people lost, so many people who had yet to really live their lives, who had been looking to the future. People who had dreams and ambitions just like him. He ventured further into the Hall, slowly making his way towards the place where Gryffindor table had once been.

**From the table in the corner****  
****They could see a world reborn****  
****And they rose with voices ringing****  
****I can hear them now!****  
****The very words that they had sung****  
****Became their last communion****  
****On the lonely barricade at dawn.**

**Oh my friends, my friends forgive me**

As Harry stood among the ruin of the only place he had ever thought of as home, images of those he had lost in the great war appeared before him, memories of happy times, where he had his friends to laugh with, to joke around with, to get into trouble with. But those times were no more.

**That I live and you are gone.****  
****There's a grief that can't be spoken.****  
****There's a pain goes on and on**.

Harry watched as the images in front of him played out, showing his friends all laughing and joking, as they had done only a few hours before. He had lost almost everyone he had come to hold dear. Everyone he had ever loved.

**Phantom faces at the window.****  
****Phantom shadows on the floor.****  
****Empty chairs at empty tables****  
****Where my friends will meet no more.**

Harry desparately reached out for the images as they begun to fade before his eyes. Sinking to the floor as reality set in.

**Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me****  
****What your sacrifice was for****  
****Empty chairs at empty tables****  
****Where my friends will sing no more.**

As Harry sat among the rubble and wood that had once been Gryffindor table he spotted a shimmer in the corner of his eye, something silver sparkling in the firelight. He turned his head slightly, thinking that it was probably just a shard of glass. There lying among the rubble covered in dust was a silver ring with a heart shaped emerald embedded between four diamonds.

"Hermione" he whispered as a single tear ran down his cheek. He picked the ring up and gently brushed the dust off he turned the ring around in his hands and read the inscription on the inside of the band '_Always and Forever' _It had only been a couple of days ago that he had stood under their favourite tree out near the lake and proposed to her.

It had been right after the end of year feast, most of the students were still in the Common Room celebrating the end of year and making the most of the time they had left together. Harry and Hermione had snuck out of the castle while the others made their way up to the tower. The sky had been perfectly clear and the stars had been shining brightly.

As he held the ring tightly in his fist memories of past times spent with Hermione flashed before his eyes, the first time he saw her on the Hogwarts Express, the night he and Ron saved her from the troll. He saw her lying petrified in the hospital wing, hitting her in the side of the head with a snowballl last winter.

Hot tears were streaming down his face, what was he going to do without her? She had been his rock, the only constant thing in his life. He'd lost everything, both of his closest friends were now gone, they had killed the only person he had ever loved, what was the point in staying here on this earth when he could be with the people he cared about most?

He remembered the first time he had asked her out, he had been so scared that she would say no, their first kiss, under the very tree where he had proposed

"Harry?" Came a familiar voice "Harry can you hear me?" Harry could sense that someone was kneeling down next to him; he could feel a weight and warmth on his knee and someone moving aside the hair in his eyes and caressing his cheek with their thumb. And that smell, he knew that smell! But no it couldn't be. Harry kept his eyes shut and looking towards the ground, tightening his grip no the ring in his hand.

"Harry, It's me"

"Hermione? N-no it can't be, she was … get away from me you're not her"

"Harry?" Hermione stared in shock at the man she loved. "Harry it's me" she said desperately.

"You're not her! She's gone, gone, she's not coming back" Harry begun rocking himself backwards and forwards as the tears streamed down his face. _'What am I going to do without her? How can Igo on without her?'_

"Harry look at me" she said forcefully, trying to pull his hands away from his tear stained face. "Come on Harry, don't do this, you'll just be letting them win"

"They've already won, I can't go on without her, and they were the ones who took her away."

"Harry, I'm right here, it's me, I'm right here, I'm not going to leave you" she said despately, trying to get him to look at her, tears mixing with the sweat and dirt already on her face. "Harry, look at me damn it, Harry, it wasn't real. Don't let them win Harry, this is want they want, don't let them win!" She sank to the floor next to him sobbing.

Something inside Harry stirred at the sounds of Hermione sobbing next to him. He lifted up his head to find a brown haired girl sitting in the dirt next to him.

"Don't cry, please don't cy" he said hoarsley, as he gently placed a hand on the side of her face a pulled her hair away from her face. Harry blinked as he looked at her, "Mione?" he whispered, not sure whether to believe if she was real or not.

"Harry, its me, you're not imagining things," she said softly, wiping the tears off her face with the back of her hand.

"I think that is the second … no third best thing I have ever heard you say" he croaked as he pulled her close and held her tightly never wanting to let her go "I thought I'd lost you" he whispered after several minutes. "I saw them …"

"It wasn't me, they forced someone to take polyjuice potion to make you think it was me. It was meant to distract you"

"Well their plan backfired. It only made me more determined to kill the bastards." He scowled.

"Shh" said said soothingly, placing a finger against his lips "It's over now and we're together, that's all that matters." Harry hugged her again.

"I think you lost something," he said, remembering the ring still held tightly in his hand. "I love you," He said as he took her left hand in his and slipped the ring back onto her finger. "Always" he whispered before kissing her.

"And forever" she added between kisses.

As the couple walked out into the darkening castle grounds hand in hand Harry could see a new light at the end of the tunnel. He knew that so long as he had Hermione by his side everything would be all right.


	3. 3rd Attempt

_A/N: Hi Again! Another attempt at this. Only a few mistakes fixed and some unnecessary repetition taken out… nothing major. _

_**Empty Chairs at Empty Tables  
Lyrics by **_**Claude-Michael Schonberg and Alan Boublil**

**There's a grief that can't be spoken.  
There's a pain goes on and on.  
Empty chairs at empty tables  
Now my friends are dead and gone.**

Harry stepped into what was once the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the dust had yet to settle. As he looked around he found that all that was left were piles of rubble that were once the walls, shattered glass that had once been beautiful stained glass windows and piles of smouldering wood scattered on the floor which had once been tables and chairs that had held many a chattering and laughing student.

**Here they talked of revolution.  
Here it was they lit the flame.  
Here they sang about tomorrow'  
And tomorrow never came.**

The war was finally over, but at what cost? So many lives had been lost; friends and family, adults and children alike. So many young people lost; so many people who had yet to really live their lives, who had been looking to the future. People who had dreams and ambitions just like him. He ventured farther into the Hall, slowly making his way towards the place where Gryffindor table had once been.

**From the table in the corner  
They could see a world reborn  
And they rose with voices ringing  
I can hear them now!  
The very words that they had sung  
Became their last communion  
On the lonely barricade at dawn.**

**Oh my friends, my friends forgive me**

As Harry stood among the ruin of the only place he had ever thought of as home, images of those he had lost in the Great War appeared before him, memories of happy times, where he had his friends to laugh with, to joke around with, and to get into trouble with. But those times were no more.

**That I live and you are gone.  
There's a grief that can't be spoken.  
There's a pain goes on and on**.

Harry watched as the images in front of him played out, showing his friends all laughing and joking, as they had done only a few hours before. He had lost almost everyone he had come to hold dear. Everyone he had ever loved.

**Phantom faces at the window.  
Phantom shadows on the floor.  
Empty chairs at empty tables  
Where my friends will meet no more.**

Harry desperately reached out for the images as they begun to fade before his eyes. Sinking to the floor as reality set in.

**Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me  
What your sacrifice was for  
Empty chairs at empty tables  
Where my friends will sing no more.**

As Harry sat among the rubble and wood he spotted a shimmer in the corner of his eye, something silver sparkling in the firelight. He turned his head slightly, thinking that it was probably just a shard of glass. There lying among the rubble covered in dust was a silver ring with a heart shaped emerald embedded between four diamonds.

"Hermione" he whispered as a single tear ran down his cheek. He picked the ring up and gently brushed the dust off he turned the ring around in his hands and read the inscription on the inside of the band '_Always and Forever' _It had only been a couple of days ago that he had stood under their favourite tree out near the lake and proposed to her.

It had been right after the end of year feast, most of the students were still in the Common Room celebrating and making the most of the time they had left together. Harry and Hermione had snuck out of the castle. The sky had been perfectly clear and the stars had been shining brightly.

As he held the ring tightly in his fist memories of past times spent with Hermione flashed before his eyes, the first time he saw her on the Hogwarts Express, the night he and Ron saved her from the troll. He saw her lying petrified in the hospital wing, hitting her in the side of the head with a snowballl last winter.

Hot tears were streaming down his face, what was he going to do without her? She had been his rock, the only constant thing in his life. He'd lost everything, both of his closest friends were now gone, they had killed the only person he had ever loved, what was the point in staying here on this earth when he could be with the people he cared about most?

He remembered the first time he had asked her out, he had been so scared that she would say no, their first kiss, under the very tree where he had proposed

"Harry? Harry can you hear me?" Harry could sense that someone was kneeling down next to him; he could feel a weight and warmth on his knee and someone moving aside the hair in his eyes and caressing his cheek with their thumb. And that smell, he knew that smell! But no it couldn't be. Harry kept his eyes shut and looking towards the ground, tightening his grip no the ring in his hand.

"Harry, It's me"

"Hermione? N-no it can't be, she was … get away from me you're not her"

"Harry?" Hermione stared in shock at the man she loved. "Harry it's me" she said desperately.

"You're not her! She's gone, gone, she's not coming back" Harry begun rocking himself backwards and forwards as the tears streamed down his face. _'What am I going to do without her? How can I go on without her?'_

"Harry look at me" she said forcefully, trying to pull his hands away from his tear stained face. "Come on Harry, don't do this, you'll just be letting them win"

"They've already won, I can't go on without her, and they were the ones who took her away."

"Harry, I'm right here, it's me, I'm right here, I'm not going to leave you" she said desperately, trying to get him to look at her, tears mixing with the sweat and dirt already on her face. "Harry, look at me damn it, Harry, it wasn't real. Don't let them win Harry, this is want they want, don't let them win!" She sank to the floor next to him sobbing.

Something inside Harry stirred at the sounds of Hermione sobbing next to him. He lifted up his head to find a brown haired girl sitting in the dirt next to him.

"Don't cry, please don't cry" he said hoarsely, as he gently placed a hand on the side of her face a pulled her hair away from her face. Harry blinked as he looked at her, "Mione?" he whispered, not sure whether to believe if she was real or not.

"Harry, it's me, you're not imagining things," she said softly, wiping the tears off her face with the back of her hand.

"I think that is the second … no third best thing I have ever heard you say" he croaked as he pulled her close and held her tightly never wanting to let her go "I thought I'd lost you" he whispered after several minutes. "I saw them …"

"It wasn't me; they forced someone to take polyjuice potion to make you think it was me. It was meant to distract you"

"Well their plan backfired. It only made me more determined to kill the bastards." He scowled.

"Shh" she said soothingly, placing a finger against his lips "It's over now and we're together, that's all that matters." Harry hugged her again.

"I think you lost something," he said, remembering the ring still held tightly in his hand. "I love you," He said as he took her left hand in his and slipped the ring back onto her finger. "Always" he whispered before kissing her.

"And forever" she added between kisses.

As the couple walked out into the darkening castle grounds hand in hand Harry could see a new light at the end of the tunnel. He knew that so long as he had Hermione by his side everything would be all right.


End file.
